1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document output apparatus, a control method thereof, and a document output system for combining print setting data and digital document data, and guaranteeing printing results. Additionally, the present invention relates to a technology for allowing changes of part of print setting data along with guaranteeing combination of print setting data and digital document data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have existed technologies for printing PDF and other formats of digital document files using print settings (print format) specified separately. To this end, a digital document file to be printed and a print setting file are combined and subjected to a printing process. A technology related to combining print setting files and digital document data and guaranteeing printing results has been realized by obtaining printing conditions associated with digital documents from an access control server over a network (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-152261). Another technology exists which prints by sending print data from a client to a print data generation server, judging from print data request information whether or not printing to the desired printing apparatus is permitted, and returning the print data to the client (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-23821). There exists a technology for guaranteeing combination of two or more files which saves attributes information related to digital documents such as alteration detection information to a storage portion as a separate file, and does not guarantee authenticity if even a part of the digital document has been altered (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-005728).
However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-152261 suffers from the problem of inconvenience since it requires using an access control server, which limits the environment of use. Similarly, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-23821 suffers from the problem of inconvenience since it requires using a server such as a print data generation server, which limits the environment of use. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-005728 saves information for detecting alterations in a storage portion as a separate file. Therefore, the fact that portability is adversely affected and the fact that combinations of digital document groups are not guaranteed if even part of a digital document has been altered entail the problem that use is difficult in systems which allow changing parts of digital documents.